1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional plasma display panel (PDP) includes a front panel and a back panel. The front panel and the back panel overlap each other in an area defined by a virtual first boundary. A virtual second boundary exists inside the first boundary, and the second boundary divides a display area and a peripheral area. In the display area, light emitting cells are disposed, and an address discharge between an address electrode (not shown) disposed on each light emitting cell and a Y electrode determines whether the light emitting cell emits the light. The light emitting cells, on which the address discharge occurs, emit lights according to sustain discharge between an X electrode and a Y electrode.
The manufactured PDP undergoes a predetermined aging process. The aging process is a process, in which all light emitting cells on the PDP emit lights for a predetermined time. The light emitting characteristics of the emitting cells are stabilized through the aging process, that is, an MgO film that forms a protective layer is activated, discharge characteristic of a discharge gas is stabilized, and impurities included in a phosphor layer can be removed.
The aging process of a conventional PDP is shown as follows. Connection terminals of all Y electrodes disposed on a left connecting portion of the front panel are covered by a left conductive mesh, and the left-side conductive mesh is pressed by a pressing member including an elastic member against the connection terminals of the Y electrodes. In addition, connection terminals of all X electrodes disposed on a right-side connecting portion of the front panel are covered by a right-side conductive mesh, and the right-side conductive mesh is pressed by the pressing member including the elastic member against the connection terminals of the X electrodes. Thus, the connection terminals of the Y electrodes are electrically connected to each other by the left-side conductive mesh, and the connection terminals of the X electrodes are electrically connected to each other by the right-side conductive mesh. When voltages VY and VX are applied to the left-side conductive mesh and the right-side conductive mesh in above status, discharges occur between the X electrodes and the Y electrodes of all the light emitting cells, and the aging process is performed.
However, if the aging process is performed simultaneously for all the light emitting cells as described above, the temperature of the display area rises due to the heat generated by the plasma discharge. Since the temperature of the peripheral area, on which the light emitting cells are not disposed, does not rise and the heat on the display area is not rapidly transferred to the peripheral area, there is a temperature difference between the display area and the peripheral area. If the temperature difference becomes larger, the PDP may be damaged due to a difference between thermal expansion rates of the display area and the peripheral area.
Recently, an amount of Xe included in the discharge gas is increased in order to improve the emitting brightness of the PDP, however, when the amount of Xe becomes larger, the above described problem becomes worse. Therefore, a solution for solving the above problem is strongly required.